


The line where the sky meets the sea

by LilaLuna



Series: To the Moon and Back [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Family, Avengers on Vacation, Domestic Avengers, Domestic Fluff, Families of Choice, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Kid Wanda Maximoff, Maximoff Twin Feels, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Past Torture, Protective Avengers, Protective Clint Barton, Protective Natasha Romanov, Swimming, Team as Family, Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-10-28 21:04:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20785097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilaLuna/pseuds/LilaLuna
Summary: With the help of Natasha and Clint, Wanda learns a new skill, something that should be taught by family, and eventually, it is.





	1. New skill

*

*

*

“Hey Wanda, how is it going?” Clint asked when he and Natasha reached the little witch in a corridor of the compound, the girl with several books in her arms, trying to balance them all, as well as a steaming cup of tea on top of the stack. The two spies each had a towel flung on a shoulder.

“I am going to my room, I need to organize my new books, so I can find them more easily! I almost read them all already, so maybe next time, I could go to the library to find some new ones. I hope they have a lot!” She started to ramble.

Her eyes sparkled when she talked about her books, her most prized possessions, making Natasha chuckle. It was just adorable. The girl was now pretty accustomed to live there with the other Avengers, and everyone had taken quite a liking for the girl.

“Do you want to join us?” the spy asked, ignoring her statement about needing to sort her books out.

“Where are you going?” the girl asked, raison an eyebrow to the two older Avengers.

“We’re heading to the pool to swim a few laps.”

Wanda lowered her head, letting her toes drag on the floor in front of her, nervousness oozing from her in waves.

“No thank you, I am okay.”

“Don’t you like to swim?” Clint asked. “I love water, my kids do too, so I try to take them to the beach at least once a year.”

“It’s not that,” Wanda answered, not looking up.

“Then what is it?” Clint pushed, ignoring Natasha, that hit him in the shoulder, sensing the girl’s discomfort and not wanting to press whatever the issue was.

Wanda muttered an answer under her breath, too low for either of them to catch.

“What was that?”

“I don’t know how to swim” Wanda repeated, louder this time, looking up to meet Clint’s eyes.

“That’s fine, we can teach you” Clint said, not missing a beat, so the girl didn’t feel embarrassed.

“You don’t have time for that.”

This time it was Natasha that answered.

“Nonsense. It would be our pleasure. Clint is to slow for me anyway, so swimming with him is no fun”

Clint opened wide eyes, a hand on his heart, a shocked expression on his face, pretending to be hurt

“You wound me, miss Romanoff”

“I don’t even have a swimsuit,” she tried to argue, eyes pleading.

“You can borrow one of mine, they should fit you just fine.”

Wanda still wasn’t convinced.

“You know, if I have time to teach three of my kids how to swim, it’s only fair that I take the time to teach my fourth.” Clint said, putting his hand on her upper arm.

That did the trick. Wanda opened wide eyes, staring straight at the archer.

“Thank you” she said, and the three of them knew it wasn’t only for the offer to teach her to swim.

“Then it’s settled”, Natasha said as she took Wanda’s hand. “Let’s see if we can find you something to wear.”

She took half the pile of books from the younger girl and led her further away in the hallway.

“I’ll wait for you by the pool” Clint called after them just before the door of the elevator closed behind them.

Fifteen minutes later, Clint was already sitting with his legs in the water, waiting for them.

It was a really nice pool, just as grand as everything else in the tower, with big windows opening on New-York landscape. The artificial lightning inside the pool and the nighttime sky that could be seen through the windows made the whole room glow a shimmering shade of blue.

Clint heard the two girls come in and turned towards them. There was no change in their outfits, except two straps peeking out from Wanda’s dress, tied around her neck in a loose bow.

Soon enough, the three of them were down to their swimsuits, purple boardshorts for Clint, and simple black bikinis for the two girls. They were ready to go in. Clint took Wanda’s hand and led her to the shallow part.

“First, are you afraid of being in the water?” he asked gently.

“No, I don’t think I am, but I didn’t have many occasions to test that theory”

“That’s fine, we’ll see how it goes”

Natasha also stepped in the water and walked in until she had water down to her waist. Clint and Wanda were still knee-deep.

“Okay, come to me” the redhead said, putting her hand forward in an inviting gesture.

Wanda had no trouble walking to her. So apparently, she wasn’t afraid of water. That would make the process much easier.

“Now I’ll show you then first movements, and you’ll try to copy me.”

Natasha went a bit deeper and started to swim slowly across the pool. Wanda watched with attention, her head tilted, observing every movement so she could reproduce them. Clint came to her side and touched her waist.

“Now it’s your turn, but don’t worry, I’ll hold you. I promise I won’t let you drown.”

After giving him her best nervous look, with big green eyes opened wide, she complied. She laid in the water, her head still above the surface. Clint slid her head under her belly to keep her afloat. She started to imitate Natasha’s earlier movements. They were a bit sloppy and splashy, but she still went forward.

It reminded the archer of a few years earlier, when he had done exactly the same with Lila, and even before with Cooper. Soon enough, he would be doing it with Nate too.

Natasha watched them with soft eyes, and a fond, gentle smile.

Once Wanda had grasped the concept, Clint removed his hand by a few inches, letting her swim on her own for a few seconds, before putting his hand back on to reassure her. They went like this a few more time, still in the shallow end of the pool.

Wanda was becoming more and more confident with every meter crossed and Clint’s smile became larger and larger.

“Now, I want you to swim to Nat.”

He pointed towards Natasha that was in the deep end, looking at them.

“I’ll catch you,” the redhead added, her arms extended in front of her.

Wanda was a bit unsure, but one more look from Clint, and she went. She swam slowly, a bit clumsily and splashing around, but she reached Natasha, that caught her and helped her stay afloat until they both reached the side wall of the pool.

Wanda pushed herself up, and sat on the edge.

“I did it! I did it! I swam on my own!” she exclaimed, batting her hands like a child would do.

The two spied watched her with matching proud smiles.

“Yes, you did, and you did good” Clint said.

“Can we do it again?”

Clint checked the time, on his water-proof watch before looking up again.

“One last time, and then, time to join the others for dinner”

Wanda grinned and lowered herself into the water once again, with Natasha still by her side.

She swam back to Clint, a little more easily than the first time, with more confidence. Once she had reached the archer, she stood up and jumped into his arms. He wrapped her in an embrace, repeating how proud he was.

Natasha joined them soon enough.

“Well, first lesson was a success. I suggest next week for another one?” she asked, tugging on the girl’s auburn wet hair.

“Works for me”, Clint answered, looking at Wanda who nodded, still grinning.

They dried and went to the changing rooms to have a shower, change, and meet the others for dinner.

*

*

*

“_Le bleu du ciel n'est pas le bleu de la mer_  
_Ce bleu que moi je préfère_  
_Sans vraiment savoir pourquoi _  
_J'aimerais tant rester fidèle à ma terre _  
_Oublier le vent éphémère _  
_J'ai essayé tant de fois_»

Vaïana, _Le Bleu Lumière_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New story !! And my first multiple chapters story !
> 
> Next chapter should be up soon.
> 
> Enjoy, enjoy
> 
> tell me what you think ♥️


	2. Blue Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am with a second chapter !

*

*

*

Dinner time came quickly enough, and all the present Avengers gathered in the tower’s living room. Natasha and Steve were both in the kitchen part, fixing dinner for everyone. Clint was sprawled out on one of the couches, cleaning some of his new arrowheads while Tony was standing up next to a window, his Stark tablet in hand, checking something. Sam was watching tv, muted on a news channel. Wanda was the last one to join the group, her hair still wet from the shower, dampening the back of her dress, a book tucked under her arm. She flopped down next to Clint and opened her book to the marked page.

They stayed in a comfortable silence for some time, the noise being the occasional page flipping, and a clicking noise that could be heard from the kitchen.

Natasha joined them a bit later and leaned over the back of the couch, placing her hands on Wanda’s shoulders.

“Alice in Wonderland? Again? Didn’t you say you had some new books to start?” she asked the girl.

Wanda lifted her head and threw her head back to look at Natasha that towered over her.

“I do, but the earlier I start, the earlier I finish. And I don’t want to finish, so I don’t start. Not yet at least. And I was rereading this when I got the new ones so I thought that I might as well finish it before starting another one.” She started to ramble, making Natasha chuckle.

“Okay, okay, I get it. I need someone to set the table.”

“I’ll do it” Wanda said, standing up promptly, nearly knocking the redhead over, if it wasn’t for her outstanding reflexes.

“Thanks honey.”

Soon enough, they were all sat around the table, enjoying a good homecooked pasta dish. They chatted lightly about everything that was not work-related, a very laid back and peaceful atmosphere surrounding everything.

“So, anyone did something interesting today?” Sal asked, resting against the back of his chair, a hand on his stomach, fully contented.

“I am this close to have a major breakthrough in my new project, but I just can’t seem to find what’s missing. I know it’s nothing, I just can’t find what it is exactly” Tony said, throwing his hands up in frustration.

“You still don’t want to tell us what it is?” Steve asked, reaching for the pasta bowl to serve a second helping.

“Nope, you will all know when it’s done, which should be very soon, I hope at least”

“I hope so too, Tony.” Natasha said, shooting him a warm smile. “I think Wanda also had a major breakthrough today!” she added.

Wanda lowered her head, and flushed a bit.

“Come on Wanda, tell them” Clint pushed

“Well, it wasn’t really a breakthrough, it was more like… filling a gap.”

“What is it?” Sam pressed.

“I learned how to swim”

“You did? But aren’t you like, seventeen? How come you never learnt before?” Sam asked, earning a well-deserved kick in the shins under the table, by none other than the redhead spy. 

“Well, Sokovia isn’t really a coastal country, and the only lake was more than a hundred miles away and we didn’t have a car, so Abba and Ima never could take us there. And we were too poor to afford going to the swimming-pool, so I guess I never had the opportunity.”

“Right, I am sorry Wanda, that was very insensitive of me. You know that’s something everybody should know how to do, so better late than never.”

“He’s right Wanda, that’s great! How did you learn?”

“Tasha and Clint taught me.”

“We did, and just to set things straight, you don’t know how to swim yet, you just started to learn, so don’t go diving somewhere yet, young lady” Clint confirmed, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

“I promise I won’t”

“Good”

Tony had said nothing throughout the whole conversation, observing silently. One could practically see the wheels turning in his brain.

“Have you ever seen the sea, Wanda?” he eventually asked, tilting his head

“No, like I said Sokovia equals no sea, and I never traveled before joining you guys”

“Then, that’s something that must be fixed. When you know how to swim for sure, and believe me when I say that I am going to wait for Natasha and Clint’s approval, I am taking all of you to my house on the West coast and we’re going to have a family vacation. That’s not negotiable.”

“You know what, Tony, as much as it hurts me to admit it, that’s actually a good idea.” Natasha said, smiling softly.

“Can I bring Laura and the kids?”

“I don’t see why not”

Clint grinned “They’re gonna be so thrilled, they’ve been begging me to take them to the beach for months now.”

“Then it’s settled. Now it’s up to you kid” He turned to Wanda, that looked at him with wide eyes.

“You really want to take me to see the sea?”

Tony nodded and Wanda’s eyes sparkled.

“I am going to see the sea! The real sea! Thank you, Tony, I really appreciate it”

“It’s nothing kid. That’s long overdue.”

Later that night, Natasha came knocked on Wanda’s door. She came in when she heard the girl’s answer. Wanda was sitting on her bed, crossed-legs, drawing on the journal on her lap.

“Hey, is everything okay?”

“Huh-huh, I wanted to thank you again for today, for teaching me to swim”

Natasha came closer.

“No, none of this. You had a good time, we had a good time, that’s all that matter.”

The little witch set the journal aside on her bedside table and laid down. Natasha sat on the bed, propped up against the headboard with her legs stretching out in front of her. Wanda shifted so her head was on Natasha’s lap. The spy’s hand almost unconsciously went to stroke the girl’s hair.

“You know, when Pietro and I were on the streets, we made a list of what we wanted to do when... You know. The first thing was to eat tons of caramels, the second one was to finally see that movie about the girl that follows the yellow road, and the third one was to see the sea. Pietro called it our blue dream because everytime he saw a very pretty blue, he would say “hey Wanda, maybe the sea is blue like this” I can’t believe that I will finally realize that third dream.”

“Then why do I feel like something is still bothering you?”

“It’s stupid”

“I am sure it’s not.”

“It feels weird to be able to accomplish something like that without him. I feel like I should not be doing it without him.”

“That’s exactly why I think you should do it. You know, you always tell that half of him lives in you and half of you lived in him, right?”

Wanda merely nodded.

“Then if you do it, half of him does it too. You can do it for the two of you and enjoy it for the two of you. Wanda, you know he would want you to go.”

Wand sat up and turned towards Natasha.

“How do you always know what to say?”

“One of my many talents I guess” Natasha shrugged, a smile on her face.

“Thank you, again”

“Come on, stop now, you already said that too much today.”

Wanda laid back down and Natasha resumed stroking her hair. Comfortable silence fell on them, but neither of them felt the need to fill it.

Around ten minutes later, Natasha heard Wanda’s breathing even out. She was asleep, out like a light.

She moved slowly, slipping from under the sleeping witch before standing up. She set the girl’s head on her pillow and covered her with the sheets.

“Good night darling” she whispered with a kiss on her forehead.

And she left the room, softly closing the door after her.

*

*

*

_"J'ai beau dire je reste, je ne partirai pas_   
_Chacun de mes gestes, chacun de mes pas _   
_Me ramène sans cesse, malgré les promesses _   
_Vers ce bleu lumière"_

Vaïana, _Le Bleu Lumière_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! see you soon, leave a comment to tell me chat you think! ♥️


	3. Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again !  
Sorry I had to add a bit of angst among all of this fluff, you've been warned !  
But enjoy !

*

*

*

“Okay Wanda, I think that’s it, we can officially say that you can swim.” Clint said, floating in the deep end of the pool, watching Wanda swim laps from Natasha to him.

“No, one more thing, you need to be able to put your head under water.” Natasha added

Wanda visibly whitened and stood up near Natasha in the shallow part. She started to wring her hands nervously, not lifting her gaze from her wrists.

“No, I… I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why? there’s nothing to be afraid of!”

“But… I really don’t want to do it” she whispered

“Why? Wanda you need to tell us, or we can’t help you.” Natasha said, putting her hand on Wanda’s shoulder. The girl flinched and stepped back. Natasha’s eyes met Clint’s. It had been weeks since Wanda had had such a violent reaction.

“I don’t really want to talk about it.”

She went out of the pool, picked up her stuff and left the pool, saying no more.

“Okay, that was weird.” Clint said, following the girl’s retreating figure.

“And that’s something that we can’t just let go.” Natasha answered, already out of the water.

“I know.” Clint sighed, following her.

A few hours later, Clint and Natasha gathered behind Wanda’s bedroom door. They had given her time to cool down, so hopefully they would be able to talk calmly. They started to argue quietly about whether or not it was a good idea to confront her now.

Their argument died down and the door opened, threads of scarlet curling around the handle.

“For two spies, you’re awfully loud.”

Clint and Natasha came in. Wanda was sitting at her desk, her notebook opened in front of her, pencil in hand. She was working on a drawing representing two people, a little girl and a baby. When he came closer, Clint saw that it was in fact Lila and Nate. He recognized the image from a picture Laura had taken during one of their monthly picnics in the forest near their house. Laura had the habit to send pictures to Clint, Wanda and Natasha every week, so even though they were often away, they could still see the children grow up.

“You knew we would be there” Clint accused.

Wanda didn’t answer, but focused on her drawing. Natasha sighed and went to sit on the bed. Clint leaned against the doorframe.

“Wanda, you know you can talk to us, instead of running away like you did.” The archer went on

“You can and you should, by the way, keeping everything bottled up will not do you any good. I thought you knew that.” Natasha added.

“I know, but sometimes, it’s just too hard.” The girl whispered, still leaning over her notebook, the brushes of her pencil on the paper becoming sharper.

“Wanda, look at me.”

Wanda sighed, closed her notebook and stood up, facing Natasha. The older spy patted the space next to her on the bed, and Wanda went to sit, looking down at her fingers, playing with her rings.

“You know we won’t force you to tell us anything. We just think it might be easier for you to move on if you did. It’s up to you though.”

Wanda remained silent, weighing pros and cons in her head. Clint and Natasha didn’t say anything either, letting her come to a decision by herself.

“Can I just show you? I don’t really want to tell”

“As you want.” Clint answered, moving closer.

Wanda closed her eyes, and two scarlet tendrils came out of her open palms, one aiming for Clint, the other for Natasha. They stopped inches away from both of their forehead. Wanda’s voice appeared in their heads. “_Are you sure_?” She was always so careful with entering other’s minds, as she still had nightmares about what she made them live through when she was following Ultron, she never really forgave herself, probably never would.

“_Yes, go ahead_” Clint thought, knowing she would hear.

“_Tasha?”_

“_It’s okay, go on_”

The scarlet ribbons finally touched their foreheads, and Wanda’s room started to blur around them, replaced by a much different place, much darker, much colder one.

They were in a small room, a cell really, with no windows and grey cement walls. In front of them was a seemingly younger Wanda, long tangled strands of auburn hair tumbling down her back, dark circles under her eyes, wearing a dirty white sort of dress, staring blankly in front of her, held on either side by two bulky guards.

A commotion was heard, and two more guys brought in a boy. Pietro. Clint felt a pang in his chest at the sight of him. He was as skinny as his sister, his hair longer than when they had meet for the first time and curly and brown.

“Well, well, well…” Stucker entered the cell, his voice echoing in the silent room. Natasha gritted her teeth when she saw him, and she had to contain herself in order not to jump on him and tear his eyes out, preferably in the most painful way possible.

“You know what, little princess? You darling brother here, refused to cooperate earlier today. You know what it means, don’t you?” he went on, a sickly grin on his face.

Pietro whitened even more, but Wanda stayed stoic, emotionless.

Shouts could be heard from the boy, but it all started to blur once again, and before they knew it, they were back in Wanda’s warm room at the tower.

“I am sorry, I cannot do it, I cannot go on.” Wanda whispered.

She was a shaking mess on her bed, her legs drawn up against her chest, face hiding in her knees. Natasha stood up from the bed, and knelt in front of her, knowing better than to touch her yet.

“Hey, hey, hey, it’s fine, you’re fine. Don’t worry it’s okay, it’s over”

Her shaking didn’t lessen.

“Wanda, honey, open your eyes, look around you, we’re in your room, at the tower”

Slowly, Wanda lifted her head, and one of her hands found the comforter on her bed. She gripped it tightly in her fist.

“Yes, darling, just like that, deep breath. Can I touch you?” Natasha asked softly, her hands still raised in front of her.

Wanda merely nodded and Natasha slipped her arms around the little witch’s shoulders. Instinctively, Wanda leaned into her side, letting herself be held. She had come a long way since she first came to live with them. Then she would avoid physical contact, and now she was seeking it.

A few minutes later, Wanda was calm again, her breathing back to normal.

“You know, you don’t have to tell us” Clint said, a hand on Wanda’s back.

“But I want to, I need to…”

“Okay then, take your time, short sentences, few words.”

Wanda took a deep breath before hiding her face in the crook of Natasha’s neck.

“When Pietro did something they didn’t like, they would punish him by hurting me. Sometimes, they held my head under water until I couldn’t breathe.”

Silence fell. There it was. Water-boarding, of course. Clint felt like punching himself. Why did he not think of it earlier? It made perfect sense. Natasha just held her tighter. She knew the feeling, and didn’t wish it on anyone.

“That’s something you can overcome. I know you can. We’ll help you, but I promise you, you’ll be able to swim just as well as anybody else.”

Wanda lifted hopeful green eyes to Clint.

“Now sleep, and meet us at the pool tomorrow, same time as today. “

Clint kissed her forehead and left the room, without adding anything else. Natasha went to stand up to follow too, but Wanda gripped her arm.

“Can you staya bit longer? Please?”

Natasha just smiled and sat back down. They didn’t say a word, just enjoyed each other’s presence.

“Now I’m okay, you can go.” Wanda said after what felt like hours, but was only minutes.

“Okay, I’ll see tomorrow.” The spy stood up and opened the door. “Don’t be late” she called from the hallway. Natasha heard Wanda’s giggle and smiled. Yes, it was all worth it.

Two weeks later, Wanda put her head under water and swam all the way across the pool, under Natasha and Clint’s proud gaze.

Natasha went to see Tony the same night, telling him Wanda was ready.

*

*

*

_"L'horizon où la mer touche le ciel et m'appelle _  
_Cache un trésor que tous ignorent _  
_C'est le vent, doucement, qui se lève et me révèle _  
_Le bleu de l'eau _  
_Si je pars, j'irai plus loin et toujours plus haut"_

Vaïana_, Le Bleu Lumière_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tadam !  
I promise fluff comes back next chapter  
Tell me what you think ♥️


	4. Night at the Farm

*

*

*

“Wanda, we’re leaving in twenty minutes, you’d better be ready, Tony said he would not wait for us!” Natasha yelled from the hallway, peeping form the door of her own bedroom.

“Yes, I’m almost done” She yelled back, leaning over her bed, where she had laid everything she wanted to bring, and was on the middle of folding everything, so it would fit into her empty suitcase that was on the floor next to the bed. They were finally going to see the sea and Wanda couldn’t be more excited. Tony had organized everything: they would spend close to a week at his beach house, and everybody who wanted to come was welcome. So far, Natasha, Steve, Sam, the five Barton’s and Tony and Wanda of course were up to it. Bruce had preferred to stay in New York to work on his experiments, and Thor was off world, probably on Asgard.

Ten minutes later, she was ready, in the living room and had to keeping herself from jumping up and down in excitement.

“Wanda please stop, you’re making me dizzy” Tony said from where he was sitting a few feet away from the girl, watching his tablet.

“But they’re so slow, we could already be on our way by now, why are they late?” Wanda whined, which out extremely out of character for her, making Tony look up and raise an eyebrow.

“We said half past three, it’s not half past three yet, so technically, they’re not late, you’re just early."

Wanda didn’t answer, just folded her arms over her chest, and pouted.

Eventually they all gathered in the tower’s living room, exactly twelve minutes late, much to Wanda’s annoyance.

“Really kid, you’re worse than Lila, even she can wait longer than that” Clint muttered when he saw the state Wanda was in.

The plan was to go get the Barton’s, spend the night at their farm and then head to Tony’s house in California.

They all boarded, and the jet took off soon after.

Few hours later, they (finally) landed on the farm’s land. They all got off the jet and walked toward to house, that still had the same reassuring and comforting aura around it. Coming here was like a breath of fresh air. They were almost at the porch, and the group of Avengers heard two little voices and saw the door open.

“Mommy, they’re here!”

“Daddy!”

Lila ran out, her two little braids bouncing on her back, closely followed by Cooper, her brown hair sticking out in every direction.

Cooper flung himself into his father’s arms, while Lila headed straight for Natasha that picked her up and settled her on her hip. Clint ruffled his son’s hair and lifted his head when he saw his wife, on the porch, baby Nate in arms.

“Laura, honey” he breathed and took her in his arms, Cooper still clutching to him, and dropped a kiss on his youngest’s forehead.

They were interrupted by a little voice ringing.

“Auntie Nat, put me down, Wanda’ s here!”

“And I’ve been replaced” Natasha chuckled, setting the girl on the ground who ran over to Wanda and hugged her around the legs. The little witch crouched to be on Lila’s level and the little girl wrapped her arms around Wanda’s neck.

“Can you come and color with me?”

“Of course, lead the way”

Lila took Wanda’s hand and dragged her inside.

“Lila baby don’t bother Wanda too much” Lila called after the girls.

“It’s fine Laura” Wanda’s muffled voice reached them from afar.

The adults still on the porch laughed and Laura greeted everybody else. They entered the house while Steve and Tony brought all their stuff out of the jet.

They gathered in the living room where they found Wanda and Lila on the floor, Lila’s pencils and books lying around them.

“For the room, I thought that maybe Steve and Sam, you could bunk together in the Cooper’s room, Cooper, you’ll go with Lila, Wanda and Nat, you can have the guest room, and Tony, is the couch fine with you?”

“Don’t worry Laura, it’s more than okay.” Tony reassured her.

“Wanda, can you stay in my room instead of Cooper?” Lila asked, tugging on Wanda’s sleeve. 

Wanda hesitated, panicking a little. She gazed up at Natasha with a pleading look, with a very subtle shake of her head. Natasha tilted her head, not really understanding why Wanda didn’t want to share Lila’s room. She went with it anyway.

“Sweetheart, I think Wanda will stay with me tonight, but you can spend the whole week with her after that.”

“But why?”

“Because… Where would Cooper go if you kick him out?”

Before Lila could come with an answer, Laura, that had sensed the tension, changed the subject. Saint Laura.

“Who wants to help me with dinner?”

Wanda immediately stood up and walked to Laura.

“Me.”

“Perfect then, we’ll start in a few minutes, go wash your hands.”

“Wanda I’ll take your suitcase upstairs.” Natasha said, before leaving the room.

Wanda ant Laura spent a really enjoyable moment, catching up, telling the other about the little things that happened since the last time they saw each other, with Nate in his high-chair, babbling animatedly in the corner of the kitchen, with Wanda often cooing at him. Laura, just like Clint, saw. The Sokovian girl as her fourth child (that would be her first-born?) and conversation flew easily between them.

When it was almost done, Laura called the two other kids downstairs for them to set the table, and a rumble could be heard in the stairs, and Lila and Cooper barged in, followed by a much less excited Natasha.

“I don’t know how you do that all day”, the spy said, talking a seat at the kitchen island next to Wanda.

“Come on, you weren’t even alone with them, Clint was with you the whole time”.

“Still. They’re lucky I love them”

When Clint was home, the children barely left his side and when their Aunty Nat was there too, they shared their time between the two of them, but it was rare for them to be seen without a kid attached to various body parts, like leg, arm, back or waist.

“Yes, they are.” Laura approved, her eyes as soft as ever. “So, Wanda? Are you excited about the trip to the beach?”

Wanda sat up straighter. “Yes, very”

“That’s an understatement, she’s been talking about that for about a month now, and when I say that, I mean only that.” Natasha completed

“Come on, I wasn’t that bad”

“Yes, you were, but I didn’t say that was bad, it’s rather cute actually” Natasha said, tugging Wanda’s braid.

“I am not cute” Wanda replied, folding her arms, pouting.

“That’s exactly my point.”

Laura just laughed at the two and had to agree with Natasha, much to Wanda’s annoyance. Then the kids came back in the kitchen, telling their mother the table was ready and that they were hungry so they’d better eat now, because “you see mom, I’ve been waiting all afternoon to eat your lasagnas, so now that they’re just in front of me, it’s not fair to not let me eat it”.

Dinner went smoothly, ending joyously with two tomato-covered children and only one spilled apple juice sippy cup. Laura saw it as a success and sent everyone away so she could clear the kitchen, with the help of Steve.

Clint and Natasha were in charge of the kids’ bath and Wanda took care of Nate, putting him to bed. Tony and Sam went to the barn to try and fix the hayloft’s beams that threatened to collapse.

Later that night, when Natasha entered Lila’s room that she would be sharing with Wanda, she saw the little witch already in her pyjamas, on her inflatable camp bed, with a book open on her lap. She went to the bathroom to get ready for bed as well. Once that done, she went back in the room. Wanda hadn’t moved. She sat on Lila’s little pink twin bed.

“So, you didn’t tell me why you didn’t want to bunk with Lila tonight.” Natasha casually asked, making sure to keep her tone as light as she could.

Wanda lifted her head and closed her book.

“Well, I didn’t want to scare during the night. You see, my nightmares are still there quite a lot, and you know how they sometimes can be a bit… vivid”

Natasha nodded in understanding.

“That makes sense, so you decided to bother me instead.” She answered in mock hurt.

Wanda flung her pillow at her, that the spy easily caught and threw back.

“Now go to sleep, we have a long day tomorrow, and I’m sure you want to be well rested for when we finally arrive at Tony’s house.”

The lights got turned off, and both spy and witch went to sleep, surrounded by family and friends, knowing that the best was yet to come.

*

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_"Il faut aimer mon île et son histoire _  
_Pour ceux qui veulent encore y croire _  
_Oublier le temps qui passe _  
_Il faut aimer mon île et son histoire _  
_Et garder encore l'espoir_  
_Un jour, je trouverai ma place_"

Vaïana, _le Bleu Lumière_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think !


	5. Scarlet fairy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being a bit long to update, I knew what I wanted to write, but I just didn’t know how to write it, so I was stuck… I hate that. But now it’s here, and it's longer.
> 
> Oh, and last chapter too, enjoy !

*

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The trip to Tony’s house went surprisingly well, with Lila sleeping the whole way through but with Wanda’s excitement growing with every hour passing. They had left quite early in the morning, so they would be able to enjoy their first day to the fullest.

When they got off the jet, they were all met with the Californian heat, very different from New York’s cool spring air. Most of the group decided to go and settle in the house so they took all the suitcases, but some others decided to go straight to the beach.

Wanda was part of that group. She had been told that Tony’s house overlooked the sea, and she wanted to see the sea for the first time with her own eyes, on the beach, and not through a window, however big and see-though could she be. Clint, Natasha went with her, as well as Lila that had decided that she would go wherever Wanda went.

All three of them reached the sand and Wanda stopped dead in her track. Natasha silently thanked the elements for being so kind to them today. The sky was clear and cloud-free, with the midday sun reflecting on the sea, making it shimmer, with it being the only possibility to decipher what was the sky and what was the sea.

Wanda was in a daze, a dreamlike daze. She could hear the waves breaking on the sand and smell the saltwater. Her eyes sparkled and her face broke in a big green. No one commented when they saw her eyes glisten slightly with tears of joy, or maybe excitement?

Wanda’s moment was broken by Lila tugging on her skirt.

“Come on Wanda, I want to go closer”

The little girl took off running, and Wanda followed just as fast. When Clint and Natasha reached them, Lila had already taken off her shoes and was knee-deep in the water. Wanda was also barefoot, not touching the water yet.

Clint placed one of his hand on the small of her back and shouted at the same time: “Lila, don’t wet your clothes or you mom will kill me”

“Okay daddy”, she said, holding her skirt higher so as to not let it touch the water. “Wanda, come!”

Clint gave her a little push and Wanda went forward.

Soon enough, the two spies heard the two girls laughing and splashing each other, the promise to keep their clothes dry totally forgotten, but no one really minded.

Natasha turned towards Clint.

“That went well.”

Clint nodded, never taking his eyes off his two girls: “It did”

Just then Natasha’s phone went off. She took one look at it and put it back in her pocket.

“That was Pepper. She says hello and that they’re waiting for us to have lunch, not that she minds us taking our time, but according to Cooper it’s very important to eat now or he will never grow up normally and be as big as you are.”

Pepper was indeed already at the house waiting for them, as she had decided to come a few days early to make sure everything was ready for such a large group of people.

Clint chuckled. “It would be a shame that make him wait then. Girls, time to come home!”

“But daddy, I still want to play with Wanda!”

“Baby, we’ll come back in the afternoon with everyone, and you can play some more, and even go for a swim.”

Lila grumbled but complied anyway. Both girls got out of the water and picked up their shoes. All four of them walked together to the house.

Tony’s house, or castle really, was a very modern building, made of white stone and whose walls was mostly made of big windows that overlooked the beach and sea. It was just as grand and majestic as the New York tower

When they walked inside, they were met with Pepper and Laura. The former went to greet Clint and Natasha, and Laura took one look at Lila and Wanda before ushering them towards the bathroom so they could rinse the sand off their feet and change out of their wet clothes, muttering about how Clint had one job.

“Where are the others?” Natasha asked.

“They are in the living room. Laura already fed Nate and put him to bed in hers and Clint’s room.”

They started to walk towards the kitchen, both of them having already been there at least once, so they knew their way around.

“Oh, and Nat, Steve put your suitcase in your room, and Wanda’s in hers.”

“Okay, thanks, I’ll tell her.”

The house was big enough for each of them to have their own room, much to Lila and Cooper’s pleasure, meaning that they wouldn’t have to share.

Lunch went smoothly, and they were ready to go to the beach, or go back to the beach for some. Pepper offered to meet them there a bit later, so she could watch Nate while he was napping, assuring that it was no trouble and that she would rather have Laura enjoy her short time here at the fullest.

Once they were all on the sand and had found a spot to lay all their things, they put their swimsuits on, and Lila and Cooper automatically went to Clint for some sunscreen. Laura has raised them well. One look from the archer told Wanda that she too had to put some on.

For the occasion, Natasha and Wanda had been shopping a few days earlier to find Wanda her own swimsuit so she could stop borrowing Natasha’s, not that the spy minded, but having her own things made everything more real to the little witch, considering that she grew up having so little.

Surprisingly enough, Wanda’s choice had been a red one-piece bathing suit. She had preferred a one-piece one, because even though she was now fine with baring her scars in front of the others at the tower, she was still very self-conscious about them when she went out. And even if Tony had assured her that no one really came to this particular beach, she still felt more comfortable covering most of them.

They went for a swim and played in the water for a bit, with Steve and Tony attempting to teach Cooper how to surf, not that any of them really knew how to surf properly. Clint and Laura stayed on the beach sunbathing and Natasha went swimming with Lila and Wanda, keeping an eye on both of them. 

“Wanda, can you make me fly?” Lila asked suddenly

“What?” Wanda asked, confused, looking between Lila and Natasha that just shrugged.

“Yes, with your powers”

“Lila, I don’t think that’s a good idea… I could hurt you…” Wanda started.

“No silly, you wouldn’t hurt me, I saw you in the kitchen make the teacups and plates fly, and you never dropped one.”

“But Lila, you’re not a teacup…” Wanda started to protest weakly. Lila didn’t listen to her.

“And even if you did drop me, I would fall in the water, and that would make it even more funny!”

Wanda looked to Natasha for approval. The spy smiled softly and nodded, knowing that Wanda was indeed in full control of her telekinetic powers. It was the mental part that was much trickier.

Slowly, Wanda focused and created a scarlet mist around Lila, solidifying slightly so it could support her weight. A few seconds later, Lila was hovering a few feet from the water, screaming in delight.

“Look mommy, I’m flying!” she shouted toward the beach, where Laura had put her book aside to watch them play, a smile on her face.

Wanda had been afraid to see Laura’s reaction to her using her power on her daughter, but seeing that smile, that same smile she used when she told Lila that she was proud of her for her good grade at school or for when she saw Cooper’s science project. Wanda was everyday a bit more on the receiving end of that smile, and that filled her with joy.

“Higher, Wanda, higher” Lila giggled, reaching as high as she could with her small hands.

Wanda complied and propelled her a bit higher. Remembering what Lila had said earlier, Wanda suddenly stopped everything, and the little girl fell down in the water, with a big splash. Lila surfaced, laughing louder than ever, under Natasha’s amused gaze.

“Again” she said, and Wanda did it again. And again. And again. Cooper even came to play with them for a while before going back to Steve and Tony, so he could surf some more.

This went on for a while, until a little girl that must have been around Lila’s age came to them, followed by her mother.

“Rose, don’t bother them.” The mother said, catching the girl by the arm.

“Oh, don’t worry, that’s fine” Natasha said.

“Hey, you, do you want to play with us?” Lila asked right away.

The girl nodded. “I am Rose”

“I am Lila, and this Wanda.”

Rose shyly looked towards Wanda before asking: “Are you a fairy?”

Wanda was a bit taken by the question and was about to answer but Lila was faster.

“She is not a fairy, she is a witch. People even call her Scarlet Witch sometimes, because she can do red magic.”

“I knew I had recognized you all from somewhere… You guys are the Avengers!” Rose’s mother said. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”

Wanda blushed a bit, still not really knowing what to say. She wasn’t used to be recognized yet. But Rose saved her the embarrassment of having to answer.

“I don’t think you’re a witch, because you’re nice and pretty, and witches are not, so you must be a fairy. You’re Scarlet Fairy.”

Lila and Rose continued to argue on which was to most appropriate for Wanda, that was still just as dumbfounded. Natasha saw that and couldn’t suppress a laugh after winking at her. When Wanda could finally speak, she turned to the two little girls. 

“Rose, do you wanna play with us?” she asked “If it’s fine with you mother, of course”

Rose turned hopeful eyes to her mother.

“Mommy, can I, please, pretty please?”

“Are you sure it’s no trouble for you?” the mother asked, looking at Wanda and Natasha.

“Oh no, it would be our pleasure.” Wanda assured.

“Okay then, but not too long, it’s almost time to come home, Rosie.”

Rose squealed in happiness, soon joined by Lila, who was always happy to make new friends.

Wanda, Lila and Rose resumed playing, Wanda making the girls go higher everytime.

Then the boys offered to all play water polo, with a waterproof ball Laura had brought from their house and that kept them occupied for quite a long time.

It was almost dinner time when Laura called everyone back on the sand, so they could go home and have a shower. They waved Rose goodbye and went back home.

Wanda stayed behind with Natasha a bit longer. They sat on the ground, watching the sun go down on the sea, lighting the sky with new colors.

“So, how did you like you first time at the sea?” the redhead asked.

“It was amazing, thank you for bringing me here.”

“It’s Tony you should thank, not me.”

“You know he is not the only one” Wanda answered, looking toward the older woman with a small smile.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, neither of them feeling the need to talk.

“You know, it felt nice to see that my power could bring such joy. I am so used to them causing destruction and despair…”

“Your powers weren’t made to bring either destruction or joy, it’s what you decide to make of them that define them, and you at the same time.”

“Now I know that.”

“And you can use that to make things better. If you had seen the way that little girl looked at you earlier, it was like you were the one hanging the moon every night. You can be an inspiration too you know, even if you don’t seem to believe it.”

Wanda shrugged and turned towards the sea once more.

“Pietro would have liked that”

“I am sure he would have.”

A few more minutes passed before Natasha stood up.

“Come on, or we’re gonna be the one they’re waiting for again.” She said, sticking her hand out, so Wanda could use it to stand.

Wanda threw one more to the sky and sea before following Natasha.

“Come on, Scarlet Fairy, we’ll be back tomorrow”

Wanda rolled her eyes. “I have the feeling you won’t keep that for yourself”

“Not even a chance.”

*

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"_Je peux les guider, les rendre plus grands _  
_Les accompagner, je prendrai le temps _  
_Mais cette voix cachée pense tout autrement _  
_Je ne comprends pas_

_Le soleil vient danser sur la mer éternelle _  
_Mais tous ignorent ses reflets d'or _  
_Elle m'attend sous un tapis de lumière, la mer m'appelle _  
_Moi, je veux voir _  
_Derrière les nuages, de nouveaux rivages"_

Vaïana,_ Le Bleu Lumière_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it, the story ends here ! 
> 
> Tell me what you think :)
> 
> See you soon ♥️

**Author's Note:**

> New story !! And my first multiple chapters story !
> 
> Next chapter should be up soon.
> 
> Enjoy, enjoy 
> 
> tell me what you think ♥️


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